Following the alarming rise of selective local banning of books in various school systems, both the House and Senate are reported to be preparing resolutions “to protect the rights of students to learn.” Resolutions are expression of sentiment, however, and are not laws. From coverage in Politico, which has seen a draft, the resolution “expresses concern about the spreading problem of book banning and proliferating threats to freedom of expression in the United States” and “reaffirms the United States’ commitment to supporting writers’ freedom of expression, and the freedom of all Americans to read books without government censorship.” It also […]
Book Bans
Virginia State Court Dismisses Obscenity Case
The Virginia State Court has dismissed a case petitioning to have Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe and Sarah Maas’ fantasy romance A Court of Mist and Fury declared “obscene for minors” under an obscure state statute. Retired Judge Pamela S. Baskervill was assigned the case after all local judges recused themselves. She called the statute “facially invalid” and “unconstitutional on its face in that it authorizes a prior restraint that violates the First Amendment and the Constitution of Virginia” and ordered it removed from the docket. Lawyers representing the authors and publishers, the ACLU, Barnes & Noble, and “a coalition […]
School Library Book Ban Movement Pushes Librarians To Resign
The NYT looks at recent efforts to ban books from school libraries, with a focus on the effects felt by librarians. They catalog some of the most extreme cases, writing that librarians “have been labeled pedophiles on social media, called out by local politicians and reported to law enforcement officials.” Some have quit after experiencing online harassment and others have been fired for refusing to remove certain titles from circulation. The recent book banning movement, which began in Florida and Texas, has now “exploded across the country,” with calls for bans reaching New Jersey, and at least five states, including […]
ABFE Condemns Efforts to Rule Two Books Obscene in VA
American Booksellers for Free Expression, a part of the American Booksellers Association, issued a statement condemning the preliminary opinion of a Virginia judge that Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe and A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas could be “obscene for unrestricted viewing by minors.” Two local politicians requested a restraining order against Barnes & Noble and Virginia Beach schools for having the book available to purchase or borrow. “The Virginia judge’s opinion is troubling in that the order could threaten the First Amendment right of a bookseller to sell a book, and that it does so […]
Media Coverage Drives Sales for Challenged and Banned Books
NPD BookScan looked at sales data for books that have been removed from shelves or publicly challenged, finding that media attention converts into sales spikes — though the absolute numbers range widely. “When a book finds itself at the top of a national news story because it has received a challenge, sales go up,” said Kristen McLean, books industry analyst for NPD. “But that doesn’t translate into an overall sales boost for other banned books. It’s the immediacy of the story, and viewers’ reaction to it, that drives increased sales. It is also likely that many consumers don’t know what […]
Virginia Politicians Seek Restraining Order Against B&N for Selling Two Books
The Virginia Beach Circuit Court issued preliminary orders finding “probable cause to believe” that two books — A COURT OF MIST AND FURY by Sarah J. Maas and GENDER QUEER by Maia Kobabe — are deemed “obscene for unrestricted viewing by minors” under Virginia state law. The authors or publishers have 21 days to respond to the allegations. The orders are the result of agitation by two local politicians: Attorney Tim Anderson, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, petitioned the court on behalf of his client Tommy Altman, a candidate in the Republican congressional primary, Book Riot reported. Anderson […]